It is known to provide a plug-in electric or hybrid electric vehicle that is connectable to an electric charging station by means of a cable in order to accomplish a battery recharging operation. The cable may be a discrete item connectable to the charging station at one end and the vehicle at the other end. A user is required to connect one end to a power outlet of the charging station and the other into the power inlet of the vehicle. In some alternative designs, the charge cable may be arranged to be permanently connected to the vehicle and carried thereby, or permanently connected to the charging station. The cable may be stored retractably on a drum or the like.
When using charging stations at different locations, a user may experience difficulty positioning the vehicle at a suitable location and at a suitable orientation to ensure that a charging connection can be made with the available cable length. Once parked, a user may find that they are unable to establish a charging connection due to the length of the cable being insufficient to establish a suitable charging connection. The user may therefore be inconvenienced by the requirement to reposition the vehicle.
It is desirable to improve an ease with which a user may undertake a recharging operation.